Shoe straightening device



Aug. 15, 1950 all wil

M. GQLDSBERRY SHOE STRAIGHTENING DEVICE Filed April 11, 1947 Patented Aug. 15, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE STRAIGHTENING DEVICE Manley Goldsberry, Frankfort, Ind. Application April 11, 1947, Serial No. 740,768

I y 4 Claims. (01. 12-4294) Thepresent invention relates to a shoe tree or support for straightening and drying out a shoe after each wearing to preserve its original shape and style. against warping and wrinkling.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved shoe tree of the class described which will fit a wide range of sizes and is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and compact, efficient in its use, and easily managed.

A further object of theinvention is to provide a shoe tree which will support a shoe in hanging relationship on a wall so that the shoe, if wet, will drain and have air freely circulating around andin it, yet will hold the shoe away from the wall so that the wall will not be marred. 3

Another object of the invention is to provide a shoe tree of the classdescribed in which the support which holds the shoe away from a wall or a floor, if set on the floor, can be used as a shoe horn when the shoe is put on by the wearer.

The invention is further. characterized by a combination shoe tree, shoe horn and shoe hanger, in which the edges of the horn portion engage the wall at spaced points'to steady the hanging shoe, and in which the concavity of the horn portion is I disposed to face the wall and is offset to accommodate the heel of a shoeit supports yet is readily available for use as a shoe horn when the shoe is removed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shoe tree which receives the shoe between two relatively fixed clamps engaging the sole without the need of utilizing a third clamp, unless desired.

These being among the objects of the invention, other and further objects will appear fromthe drawing, the description relating thereto, and the appended claims.

Referring now to thedrawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a device illustrating and embodying the invention in its preferred form.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1 when placed in operation with a shoe mounted thereon.

Fig. 3 is a section taken upon line 3--3 of Fig. l. p In the drawing, the preferred embodiment is shown in which the combination shoe tree, support and horn comprises a body It! preferably stamped from sheet metal and longitudinally corrugated as at l I to rigidify the body against undue flexing. At the toe end l2 and ear I3 is punched out to leave a hole Hi to receive a hanger such as a nail l5 driven in a wall It to hang the body on a wall with or without a shoe II on it. The ear I3, left fastened to the body at one edge by the punching, is bent at right angles to the body and extends away from the body a distance equal to the thickness of the thickest shoe sole 20 contemplated, at which point the ear is bent as at E8 to form a lip 2| shaped to engage the upper face of the toe end of the sole 2!! like a clamp.

At one side edge 22 of the body in a second clamp is formed from the body. This comprises a vertical ear portion 23 and a reverted lip portion 24 to engage the top edge portion of the shoe sole 20 at it arch portion 25 just below the ball or tread portion 26.

With the invention thus described, thetoe of the shoe sole is inserted under the lip 2| and the heel of the shoe pressed downwardly towards the body ill until the sole at .25 is below the lip 24 whereupon the shoe is pushed laterally until the edge of the sole at this point is under the lip 24-. This flattens the sole to straighten the shoe and take out the wrinkles in the shoe upper and the resiliency in the sole maintains the clamps in engagement whereupon the shoe tree withshoe can be hung on a nail as shown in Fig. 2. In this position the shoe will dry out any perspiration or wetness due to rain which may be present and will retain its shape and style.

In order to keep any part of the shoe from contacting the wall It, it is preferred to provide an elongated extension 28, formed preferably integrally with the body and bent as at an to displace its body portion 3| laterally from the other portion of the shoe tree. The displaced portion 3! is concavely formed as at 32 (Fig. 3) with the concavity facing the wall so that the edges 33 thereof rest against the wall anl support the shoe 11 out of contact with the wall.

The offset at 3B clears the heel 34 of the shoe and when used as a shoe horn there is no interference with the horn portion by the remainder of the shoe tree but rather the body H1 is easily used as a handle for the shoe horn.

Not only does this concavity serve as a shoe horn, but if the heel of the shoe is high enough to rest against the convex side, it is still spaced by the concavity from the wall sufficient to prevent contact therewith. Moreover, the extension 28 serves as a handle, capable of being gripped at its edges when a shoe is being mounted as when the sole is being side-slipped under, or being removed from under the lip 24.

Although not necessary with the construction shown, it is desirable to have a third clamp, an adjustable one, which will engage the sole on the other side of the arch portion 25 of the shoe. For this purpose the body portion is slotted along parallel lines preferably parallel with and opposite to the upright portion 23 as at 40 and the body portion 4| between the slots is displaced downwardly to provide facing openings through which a transverse member 63 may be received in sliding and guided relationship. At its outer end this member is bent upwardly and reversely as at M and 45, respectively, to provide a clamp. The other end is bent downwardly as at 46 to provide a tab or handle 41 which prevents the removal or loss of the member 43 from the slots and also serves as a grip to slide the clamp 46 into and out of engagement with the sole 2D.

The operation of the device is simplicity itself. The tree hanger is taken in the left'hand with 2|, the shoe pressed down by the right hand and slid under the lip 2 f clamp 23. Thereafter the shoe and clamp are turned over if desired and the clamp 46 pressed home over the other side of the shank portion of the shoe sole. The shoe and tree are then hung on a nail l5 as the objects are fulfilled, it will be apparent that various and further modifications and changes can be made therein without departing from the objects and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A shoe straightening device comprising an elongated plate, means on the top end of said plate for hanging the elongated the heel away from the wall.

2. In a shoe straightening device, an elongated body characterized by a. shoe sole clamp and hanger at one end, avshoe sole clamp at one side thereof to engage the sole at the shank, a concave extension at the other end with the concavity facmg away from the shoe to engage a wall, and adjustable clamp means upon the other side of said body.

3. A shoe straightening device comprising an body longitudinally corrugated to strengthen it against undue flexing, a punched out portion at one end constructed and arranged as a toe clamp to engage the sole of a shoe and leaving an opening in the body, and a second clamp for engaging the sole of the shoe in the shank portion thereof formed integrally with the body at one side of the body at a point proximate the other end of said body.

and at the iotherend to provide a-handle.

MANLEY GOLDSBERRY.

REFERENCES CITED 'The following references are of record in the 

